Lessons from Cancer: Living with cancer and beyond

Friday

It seems that many of us believe, or want to believe, that we live on in spirit after we die, judging by the responses to the piece last week about my session with Spirit Medium Candice Dalton.

It seems that many of us believe, or want to believe, that we live on in spirit after we die, judging by the responses to the piece last week about my session with Spirit Medium Candice Dalton.

The evidence that we do is so compelling, but I’m only one person sharing my experience. I suspect though that millions of other people have their own incredible stories of communicating with their loved ones who have passed.

I know that many of us would absolutely love to read about them, so please feel free to tell us on my blog, http://makingsenseofitall.joycerothman.com.

Just send them through the comment section and I would feel honored to post them under ‘Stories of Inspiration’.

We all want to know that we are made of light and love and that we live on beyond our physical selves. The more we can learn from each other, the easier it will be to face our own mortality, or rather – embrace our own immortality. If you would like to post anonymously, please let me know and I will respect that.

So, now for an update on my latest cancer saga: I’m back in the hospital – this time with pneumonia in both lungs. I had been running a low-grade fever for four weeks despite of two courses of antibiotics, and I was becoming so weak that I wondered if I’d ever feel better.

My last PET/CT scan five weeks ago showed that the lung cancer had increased and spread. It was blocking my right upper airway, and I was coughing and wheezing to beat the band. I barely had energy to do anything.

My doctors and I decided that I would have surgery to remove that part of my tumor by laser ablation. It was done six days ago, and it turned out that eighty percent of that part of my airway was blocked. The doctors removed that piece of the tumor and all went well.

My coughing improved over the first few days but my low grade temp persisted. Three days after, I felt like I wasn’t getting enough air and had to stop and take a few deep breaths every now and then. Four days after, my pulse got very rapid when I walked from one room to the next and on the fifth day, I also became short of breath after doing any little thing.

I realized that I could have a pulmonary embolism or pneumonia and even though I was feeling so weak and ill, I had better get myself to the ER. And I’m glad that I did because the CT scan showed pneumonia in both lungs. I’m on three different IV antibiotics and feeling much better. Hopefully, all will continue to go well and I’ll be home in a few days.

Each time in the last year that I felt that lousy, I listened to my gut and knew that I couldn’t ignore it. And each time, I went to the ER and was admitted. This is a good lesson about trusting my intuition or inner wisdom because it is so easy to still doubt.

Now I know though that when it lingers, taking action is the best plan. Actually, my gut already knew that but my head wasn’t always on board. I seem to need repeated confirmation but when I listen to both, I take the right steps. At least I’m getting better and better each time. After all, practice makes perfect.

Joyce Rothman of Onset, Mass., a nurse for 40 years, was diagnosed with lung and pancreatic cancer in July 2010. Since then, she has been writing about her diagnosis, her treatment and her outlook on the process, in hopes of helping others. Follow her journey at http://makingsenseofitall.joycerothman.com.

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